Smiley: Litigious drinker

Smiley: Litigious drinker

Tommy Watts says there was once a rash of claims and lawsuits against soft drink bottlers about foreign material allegedly found in their bottles:

“A gentleman came into my office and asked if I handled ‘indecent’ cold drink cases.

“He removed a bottle of cream soda from a brown paper bag, whereupon I alertly noted that in spite of the small speck in the bottom, the bottle had not been opened.

“I explained the obvious to him, including the fact he had not consumed the offending product, had not been seen by a doctor and, in any event, had no evidence of having been rendered ill by his experience.

“Sometime thereafter, the man came back, presenting an open, partially consumed cold drink containing a contaminant that could best be described as a piece of shoe leather.

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“When I asked for details, he stated that he had in fact been rendered ill by this drink and had received medical attention.

“My questioning revealed that he bought the drink from the machine just outside the Baton Rouge General emergency room, where he partially consumed the ‘indecent’ cold drink, became violently ill and was conveniently triaged.”